Ever since Liberty Media acquired the Formula One Group in 2016 (paying US$4.6 billion for it), the American media company has been changing the character of the sport. There has been a bigger push in commercialization and expanding the sport’s global footprint. It has also increased the number of rounds for the championship and has not ruled out going to as many as 30 rounds in future. That’s something many teams and drivers are not in favour of because having to be on the move all the time, not only putting the pressure on logistics but also affecting personal life.
Not surprisingly, Liberty Media has been keen to have more rounds in America and has announced that Las Vegas will be a venue in the 2023 calendar. The city, well known for its casinos, has hosted Formula 1 before in 1981 and 1982 when a racetrack was created in the carpark of the Caesar’s Palace hotel and casino (yes, the carpark was big enough for a track within it). It was considered one of the worst circuits in F1 history.
The circuit in the Caesar’s Palace carpark used for the F1 rounds in 1981 and 1982. Drivers had to go round for 75 laps and it was considered among the worst circuits in F1 history.
F1 races in America
Other American cities which have had Formula 1 rounds in the past have been Detroit/Michigan (1982 – 1988), Los Angeles/California (1976 – 1983), Dallas/Texas (1984), Riverside/California (1960), Sebring/Florida (1959), Watkins Glen/New York (1961 – 1980), Indianapolis/Indiana (2000 – 2007), and Austin/Texas (2012 – 2019, 2021). In total, there have been at least 50 rounds of F1 held in America though it is not so apparent. In 1982, it became the first country to host 3 rounds in one season. This year will see Miami being added to the list when it is run for the first time on May 8.
While the last circuit was laid out in a carpark and the drivers had to go round the 3.6-km course for 75 laps, the 2023 one will have a very different layout (31 layouts were considered). While there will be 14 corners like the 1982 circuit, the new track will have 3 long main straights and a total lap length of 6.12 kms.
Night race
The racing cars will certainly be going much faster than those in the 1980s and should reach 340 km/h as they speed along the Strip past the buildings. The race will also be held at night, a feature of the sport since the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix when the first night race was held.
The Honda Malaysia assembly plant today crossed a significant milestone in its history – the production of its 1 millionth unit since commencing local assembly in 2003. The 1 millionth unit was the latest 11the generation of the Honda Civic Sedan.
Speaking at a special ceremony held at the plant, Honda Malaysia’s Managing Director & CEO, Madoka Chujo, said: “It has been 20 years since Honda Malaysia’s establishment in the country. We have evolved and recorded significant achievements since then. In March 2021, we achieved the 1 millionth sale unit milestone with all Malaysians. Just one year later, I am now celebrating another significant milestone with all of you the 1 millionth production unit. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all Honda associates and suppliers for their effort and hard work to ensure smooth production process and supply chain operations, even with many challenges faced, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global chip shortage and recent flood incidents. With their dedication, Challenging Spirit and working ‘Together As One’, we are able to achieve this remarkable 1 million production unit milestone.”
”Additionally, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our dealers, members of the media and Honda customers for your unwavering support towards Honda Malaysia. We would also like to thank the Malaysian government for the strong support since the establishment of Honda Malaysia. On top of that, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Melaka State Government for their continued support for our plans for this Pegoh Plant. The tremendous support from all stakeholders has helped Honda Malaysia progress and enabled us to achieve the No.1 position in Non-National Passenger Vehicle segment for 8 consecutive years since 2014,” she said.
Although Honda vehicles have been assembled in Malaysia since the early 1970s, they were done so under contract assembly with Oriental Assemblers in Johor. With the establishment of Honda Malaysia (initially known as DRB-Oriental-Honda), the Japanese carmaker also made the decision to invest in having its own assembly plant as well. It chose a greenfield site in Pegoh, Melaka, adjacent to the North-South Expressway.
The first model assembled when the plant began operations in 2003 was the second generation Honda CR-V.
Investment in the plant, which took a brisk 13 months to go from construction to pilot production in 2003, started with RM180 million, with RM194 million earmarked for expansion over the following 5 years. The investment included RM20 million for a facility on the 80-acre site to assemble Constant Velocity (CV) joints for export to Honda plants in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand under the ASEAN Industrial Cooperation Scheme (AICO). Later, the volumes made it the largest exporter of CV joints in the region and its products would go as far as the UK and Turkey.
Started with CR-V
The plant was initially built with a single line for an annual capacity of 50,000 vehicles. The first model to roll out was the second generation of the CR-V. All output from the plant was only for the Malaysian market and as the popularity of Hondas grew, demand rose so the production capacity was increased to 100,000 units a year with a second line being set up. By then, the number of models assembled locally totalled seven. In October 2013, local assembly of the Jazz Hybrid began, making Honda Malaysia the first company to assemble vehicles with hybrid electric technology locally.
The Honda Jazz Hybrid was the first locally assembled model with hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology. Today, Honda Malaysia offers HEV technology with the City Sedan, City Hatchback and HR-V models, all assembled locally as well.
The flexible production capability allows different models to be assembled at the same time. There is also a range of state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies that are on par with the Honda plants in Japan. One of them is Laser Brazing technology which creates a smooth and clean roofline for a sleeker exterior appearance. Inner Frame Welding technology is also used to enhance the body rigidity, while the use of Spray Polyurethane Foam reduces noise and vibrations.
Malaysia considered ‘first country’ market
The steady progress made by the plant as well as growing sales volumes have raised the status of the Malaysian market where product planning is concerned. Since the fourth generation of the City, Malaysia has been considered a ‘first country’ instead of ‘second country’. The ‘second country’ status meant that whatever features were available were already decided earlier by ‘first countries’ such as India, Thailand and Indonesia. As such, Honda Malaysia had to adapt from what was already decided for other markets and that affected the cost of the parts made locally.
Being upgraded to ‘first country’ meant that Honda Malaysia could participate in the product planning for the new model and submit specific requests for features or equipment which were required for the Malaysian version. This enabled a greater degree of localization of parts which also led to lowering of production costs.
Manufacturing technologies at the assembly plant in Melaka have been constantly upgraded to enable the vehicles produced to be of the highest quality.
Besides its own factory, Honda Malaysia also encouraged some of its suppliers to set up facilities nearby so that delivery of parts would be faster and more efficient. This would support the Japanese approach of ‘Just-in-Time’ where storage of parts would be kept low, reducing the need for warehousing space.
The year 2022 is a special year for Volvo Malaysia because it marks the 55th anniversary for the Swedish marque’s presence in Malaysia.
Not only that but it also marks 55 years since the first ever locally assembled Volvo first rolled off the assembly line, which was the Volvo 144 (pictured below).
And 55 years later, Volvo Malaysia has once again made history by introducing the first ever locally assembled all-electric car – the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric.
The name of the car is painfully long, so for the sake of this article, let’s just call it the Volvo XC40 RPE, or RPE.
We recently test drove the car during a Volvo organised drive to Janda Baik and back, which gave us plenty of drive time to sample its electric capabilities, range and overall look and feel.
Let’s first begin with its design.
Current XC40 Recharge owners will recognise the overall silhouette, but there are some key differences.
There is no need for a grille anymore since there is no engine to cool, so in its place a plastic panel that is thoughtfully painted in the same colour as the body, giving it a very unique touch and immediately identifying it as the all-electric sibling of the XC40 line-up.
And then there is the obvious omission of the tail pipes, giving the rear of the car a tidy look when compared to its fuel guzzling sibling.
Step inside and it’s business as usual for a Volvo. Except that it’s not. Because in the XC40 RPE you don’t have to start it to drive it. There’s no button to push or key to twist, there’s a simple press of the brake pedal, a gentle push of the gear lever to either D or R, and you’re off.
That’s an easy solution but one that we need to get used to, but after some time, it had me wondering why no one else had ever thought of that.
The first thing that catches your eye as you sit inside is the steering wheel and how basic it looks. The buttons are minimalistic and one could argue that it looks cheap, but it looks the way it does so as not to distract the driver.
Just behind the steering wheel is a gigantic 12-inch display that takes over meter panel duties. It displays the usual info such as speed and range and charge levels, but because it is one giant screen, it can also switch to becoming a giant navigation screen with the aforementioned data neatly tucked away but within reach of the eye.
To the left of the steering wheel is a 9-inch vertical centre display (Volvo calls it portrait format) that houses everything you need while in the car – navigation, entertainment, air-conditioning controls and car settings.
The XC40 RPE also offers Google Assistant which lets you ask for directions, play music and make calls and even ask for the closest restaurants, all by saying “Hey Google” to get started.
The overall look and feel of the interior of the XC40 RPE is rather minimalistic. I particularly loved the 13-speaker Harmon Kardon premium sound system which comes standard and gives your music depth and rich bass.
The carpets are made of recycled materials while overall quality is fantastic, as it should be of a Volvo.
The seats may look thinly padded but offer decent support and come with memory function.
I personally found that rear seats to be cramped and the back rests too upright to get decently comfortable, but this is a small Volvo after all.
But a small Volvo doesn’t mean that it is devoid of space. Under what would usually be the bonnet is a small storage area consisting of two sections – the top section is perfect to store the charging cable and a small gym bag (the Mercedes EQA could learn a thing or two about storage from the XC40 RPE) while the boot offers 419 litres of storage space. That can expand to 1,295 litres with the rear seats folded down.
So how does it drive?
Fantastic to put it lightly.
Lets get the facts and figures out of the way first. The XC40 RPE available in Malaysia comes in Twin Motor format, which means there are two electric motors placed in the front and rear axle.
These motors give the XC40 RPE an AWD format and gives the car a phenomenal 408hp and 660Nm of torque. The sprint to 100km/h is seen off in just 4.9 seconds. A decade ago, these figures would have given this Volvo supercar status.
But it is still a car tuned for comfort so the suspension is on the softish side and you feel the body roll if you dive into corners at high speed. So you still have to watch your right foot and need to keep your inner child at bay when driving the RPE.
The brakes are more than capable of keeping up with all that power, but being regenerative they lack feel and that all important initial bite. So that can be scary when your brakes feel like they are not responding at first. Dig deeper and the brakes respond and the batteries get recharged.
But the Volvo XC40 RPE has a party trick up its sleeve and it is called the ‘One Pedal Drive’. What this does is that it lets you accelerate and brake using the accelerator pedal alone.
Accelerate as you normally would, and when you need to slow down, simply lift off and the brakes will be applied. The quicker you lift, the quicker and harder the brakes will be applied.
Of course you can still use the brake pedal as you normally would too, and driving using the One Pedal Drive tech takes some getting used to, but after some time you realise that it makes complete sense, especially in traffic. This tech also makes managing traffic a lot easier too because you don’t have to keep rotating your ankle between the brake and accelerator.
So, the power figures of the XC40 RPE suggest that you could have some serious fun, but the suspension and brakes don’t feel like they are up for it. And for good reason too, this is still a car designed for urban and some sub-urban use.
It is meant to keep you cuddled in subtle luxury and comfortable with the suspension disconnecting you from the horrors of Malaysian roads. It does not brilliantly though.
And now comes the big question – are we ready for electric cars and recharging our cars as we would our phones?
The XC40 RPE has a range of 417km on a full charge. Volvo says that if you stick to city driving, you will get a range of 420km while a combination of city and highway and mountainous driving will take that range down to 300km. Highway driving will only give you a range of 300km.
When we first started out our drive from Saujana Hotel in Subang, we were quite close to full charge, and when we returned the cars, there was still a range of 37km left.
We surely didn’t drive anywhere close to 400km that day. A quick dash to Janda Baik and back with a quick swing by Gohtong Jaya, we drove 270km at best. So Volvo is not exactly bluffing about its range.
But we were driving fast and the uphill climbs required more power anyway. And that’s the thing about electric cars, it all depends on where you are going and how that will affect power usage.
Driving at a constant speed on a flat highway will not consume much power, so driving interstate along the North South highway should be fine.
And power companies such as Petronas and Shell are fast catching up and are offering recharging stations along the entire stretch of the north south highway too, so recharging and range anxiety will soon be a thing of the past.
On the point of recharging, the RPE needs just 37 minutes to reach 80 per cent charge with a 150kW DC fast charger. While a regular 11kW AC socket such as the ones found in our homes will require 8 hours to reach 100 per cent charge.
So there’s still plenty of waiting around that is required to recharge your car, but that is fine if you are going to drive the car around town, unless you live in a condominium and have limited access to a charging port, then an electric car, no matter what type, is really not for you.
And so, all in all, the Volvo XC 40 Recharge Pure Electric checks all the boxes and is a fun little thing to drive and go about your daily business without burning a hole in your pocket.
Volvo Malaysia has not announced a price for it as yet but there’s speculation that it will be in the RM250,000 range.
Volvo looks like they may just have a winner in their hands, but the only thing that could hurt the XC40 RPE is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 Max.
Lotus has finally joined the SUV crowd with its new Eletre (pronounced ‘El-etra’ and means ‘Coming to Life’ in some Eastern European languages) which is not only its first SUV but also the world’s first fully electric hyper SUV. Officially launched tonight at the BBC Television Centre in London, the model brings with it a significant number of firsts for the British brand – the first 5-door production model, the first model outside sportscar segments; the first lifestyle EV; and the most ‘connected’ Lotus ever.
As would be expected, advanced technologies are found throughout the car, including the most advanced active aerodynamics package claimed for any production SUV. There are also intelligent driving technologies such as the world’s first deployable Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system in a production car.
The Eletre is built on Lotus’ all-new Electric Premium Architecture (EPA). The low-to-the-ground design endows it with outstanding handling, and the EPA can easily adapt to accommodate C+ to E+ vehicle class battery sizes, motors, component layouts and intelligent driving technologies. The platform will be the basis for an all-new range of premium lifestyle performance electric vehicles from Lotus.
The Eletre has a 4WD drivetrain with 2 electric motors that provide up to 600 bhp, and uses 800V dedicated electric vehicle architecture with integrated, high-voltage power distribution system. The high-density battery pack has a capacity that’s over 100 kWh and a full charge is expected to last for up to 600 kms. A 350 kW charger will provide 400 kms of range in just 20 minutes, and it also comes with the ability as standard to accept 22 kW AC charging (if available). The hyper SUV credentials come from claimed performance numbers of less than 3 seconds for 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 260 km/h.
The international design team was guided by Peter Horbury, who became Senior Vice President, Executive Advisor, Design, of Group Lotus last August. Horbury was the man who ‘threw the box out’ at Volvo when he designed the C70 and prior to moving to Lotus, he provided guidance for various brands in the Geely group which Lotus is part of.
The designers created a daring and dramatic new model with a cab-forward stance, long wheelbase and very short overhangs front and rear. They had newfound creative freedom with the absence of a combustion engine under the bonnet, while the short bonnet echoes the styling cues of Lotus’ iconic mid-engined layout.
A signature element of the 5103 mm long bodywork’s design is its ‘porosity’ – the aerodynamic principle of air flowing through the car as well as under, over and around it. Porosity was at the heart of the Evija’s design, is integral to the Emira, and has provided clear inspiration for the Eletre. It is most obvious where air is channelled under the leading edge of the car, emerging through two exit vents in the bonnet above.
The active front grille is formed from a network of interconnecting triangular petals that dominate the central section. Intricately designed, they remain closed when the car is at rest or when there’s a need to reduce drag during driving. They open in a distinctive pattern to feed air into the radiator, allowing the Eletre to ‘breathe’ when cooling of the electric motors, battery pack and front brakes is required. All the black components are finished in carbonfibre while the body panels are aluminium.
The rear is dominated by the unique cantilevered carbonfibre ‘floating’ split roof spoiler, a motorsport-inspired design feature that evokes race car winglets. With the central section removed, weight is saved – a very Lotus concept – and allows the LiDAR sensor to be integrated at the top of the glass. Optimised for exceptional aerodynamics, the roof spoiler channels airflow down the glass and into the active tailgate spoiler which is deployed automatically at speed. It has three distinct deployment angles, depending on the drive mode selected.
The interior has a performance-oriented and technical design which is ‘visually lightweight’ and as former F1 driver Jenson Button (who drove the car in for its debut) said, it has ultra-premium materials to offer a level of luxury that is new to Lotus. Sustainability has also been a core focus of the design team with the hard materials of carbonfibre that give a premium marble-like finish.
The cabin has four individual seats as standard, with customers also offered the more traditional 5-seat layout under a fixed panoramic glass sunroof. The cockpit and high centre console are inspired by the Emira and Evija with the triangular theme seen externally on the grille being replicated in multiple locations around the cabin.
The Lotus philosophy of light-weighting – removing material if it’s not needed – is clearly illustrated in the instrument panel. The floating wing’s central section has been taken out, echoing the design of the rear spoiler. Below the instrument panel a blade of light runs across the cabin, sitting in a ribbed channel that widens at each end to create the air vents. While it appears to be floating, the light is more than decorative and forms part of the human machine interface (HMI). It changes colour to communicate with occupants, for example, if a phonecall is received; if the cabin temperature is changed; or to reflect the vehicle’s battery charge status. Information can also be displayed to the driver via a head-up display featuring augmented reality (AR) technology.
The infotainment experience is said to set new standards in the automotive world, with pioneering and innovative use of intelligent technologies. It is a collaboration between the design team in England and the Lotus team in China, who have huge experience in the fields of User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX). At the core of the Eletre’s UI/UX is the Lotus attribute of simplicity, which is realised through three pillars: lightweight (for both system components and the experience); intelligence (system versatility); and immersive (for interactions that excite and engage occupants). This includes the on-screen 3-dimensional world in which the car is viewed, showcasing the Eletre as the hero and adopting user experiences from the worlds of gaming and mobile technology.
While every element of the Eletre can be controlled digitally, certain key controls are duplicated with analogue switches – evidence of the simplicity for which Lotus is famed. The technical look, compact size and premium feel of the steering wheel is intended to deliver maximum comfort, performance and usability. Visually lightweight, it houses switchgear for the adaptive cruise control and infotainment system.
The standard audio system on the car comes from KEF and is composed of a 1,380W 15-speaker set-up with Uni-QTM and surround sound technology. Uni-Q dispenses with separated tweeter and mid-range speakers, instead combining both into an acoustically idealised single unit. It covers the entire mid and high-frequency sound spectrum from a single point in space, delivering a more coherent, hyper-realistic sound experience.
Technology is used for much more than infotainment on the Eletre. It is also at the heart of the car’s comprehensive suite of intelligent Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), many of which are designed to be futureproof so new features can be enabled via Over The Air (OTA) updates. Several utilise the LiDAR system which supports end-to-end autonomous driving technology and is future-proofed for further development, achievable because of the hardware that’s already integrated. Further capability can be added via OTA software updates, as and when it is allowed by local market regulations.
Incidentally, each door mirror is replaced by an Electric Reverse Mirror Display (ERMD), which houses 3 different cameras – one for the rearview mirror, a second to help create a 360-degree view of the car from above to aid parking, and a third that’s part of the intelligent driving technologies which work in tandem with the LIDAR system.
“The Eletre is a bold and revolutionary new car, delivering on our commitment to move Lotus into completely new automotive segments as we widen our global appeal and accessibility. This is a momentous point in our history and a clear signal of our ongoing desire to transform our business. It is a true Lotus, and we’re confident it will delight performance car customers and offer a distinct alternative to the segment’s established players. The Eletre has the soul of a Lotus and the usability of an SUV. Alongside the Emira sportscar, this is the perfect two-car garage from Lotus,” said Matt Windle, Managing Director of Lotus Cars.
Pricing is not announced at this time and the Eletre will be built at a new factory in Wuhan, China. First deliveries start in 2023 with the early production going to customers in China, the UK, and Europe.
